Diabolus
by crudemuffin
Summary: Noctis faces one of the most powerful underground cartels that the world has ever seen, the Diabolus. With no leads Noctis is at the end of his rope. That is until one day he receives a letter. "Dear Prince tearing out his own hair trying to track me down, how would you like to have a talk with me? In person of course, I believe there is much that needs to be discussed... -L.F"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N-** Heyo! Fair warning, this is going to be a lot darker than my other stories. I wanted to try writing something that I've been thinking about for awhile out. I'm really nervous about what kind of response it'll get, but either way I hope this is somewhat interesting, because it's something I'd really like to continue. Much appreciated!

* * *

Lucis Kingdom. Day and night, the city thrives. By day, herds of it citizens are seen enjoying themselves at bazaars, festivals and parades alike. Bountiful feasts are held, welcoming all. Every attendee is drunk on the pure ecstasy passed along from one to another. They dance, twirling along with the melody of the instruments. Children of all ages run amok in the streets with unfiltered bliss. The elders reminisce together, over what once was and now will never be again. The ones bound by marriage and the sacred rapture that is love walk hand in hand, perusing through the stalls and shops, whispering sweet nothings to their dears all the while. The adolescent youngsters readily flirt, beginning the affairs and puppy love that is sure to come; albeit some don red flushed faces as they do so. A sweet nostalgia of the old yet rich culture melds with the new coming age of technology, creating the satisfyingly unique atmosphere. As the sun kisses the horizon the children scurry home and into their comfy haven; but not before pleading their parents to check under the bed for any ghoulish beings. As soon as they are sound asleep the remainder of the population, the ones of valid age gather outdoors to admire the scenery. They hurry over to downtown Lucis where the street lights dim and the vibrant lanterns fill in the light that lacks. Jaunty music flows through the air once again as the inebriating brew is served to the participants. Though all of them keep in mind that drinking responsibly is a must, for penalties for foolish behavior under the influence are severe. Running late into the night the number of people begins to recede as they stumble their way home. Tomorrow would be the day of rest followed by five days of hard work and finally the happenings of tonight will take place again. This was how it was in Lucis. The economy blossomed, the people were content and the kingdom was perfectly balanced… At least it was to the ones who were unaware.

In the midst of the positives, come the negatives. On the outskirts of the kingdom lies Nihilsomno or better known as the "Sleepless". Here is where the unwanted, the alienated and the poor are subjected to. Here, crime runs rampant. Murder, robbery and narcotic usage is the only thing that flourishes. Instead of the peachy harmony that plays in the city, in Nihilsomno gunshots, cries and the gruesome silence are all the locals are privileged to hear. Walking into Nihilsomno is a death wish and leaving it alive, let alone with all of your limbs attached is a Godsend. If one truly desires to venture deeper into the murky darkness of this forsaken city they will discover an even more terrifying truth; a truth that even the royal family itself have tried to conceal, but have been unable to do so.

An underground syndicate was born in the heart of this broken city. The black market was created and erupted in only a few years. This little illegal commerce began with a gambling organization, and then branched into loan sharking. Further along this deviant road, the success led to a full blown drug ring. As if to ridicule the royal family even more so, the newest addition to these illegal trades was none other than arms dealing. This tyrant of a business had caught wind and had quickly become known worldwide, topping most if not all of the wanted lists. With the new found celebrity status this cartel had found a fitting name for them; Diabolus, meaning devil. The public had yet to know the true identity of the mastermind behind Diabolus and most prayed that they never would.

* * *

"P-p-please! I-I don't know anything! I swear!" A bloodied and bruised man sobbed in the wooden chair. His once brown hair turned black as the dark crimson fluid leaked out of the laceration on his head. His hands were bound painfully behind the back of the chair. He heaved as the very same red body fluid and saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. His right eye was swollen shut while the other quivered to stay open as tears escaped. A woman with bronze skin and wild dark brown hair looked down at him, amused. She grinned, showing off her canines, her tongue gliding over them. Her left leg was lifted so that her foot settled between his legs, resting on the unoccupied surface. She leaned forward and raised the revolver that was clutched in her hand to the man's forehead.

"Really? Well I guess we're done with you then." His eyes widened in both fear and shock. Her thumb pulled back the hammer on the gun, cocking it.

"W-wait! T-Tom Brooks is the guy you're lookin' for! He was leaking information about our deals to the dogs on the east side of the city! I-I saw him meet up with them in their territory!"

"Oh? And why didn't you tell us that earlier?"

"B-because he said he'd split the profit with me! 50-50!"

"Hmmm, reaaaally?" The brunette looked over her shoulder to the woman behind her, gun still pressed firmly to the man's head. "So what do yah think sunshine? We got all the info we needed out of him. What should we do with this guy now?" The woman played with the pink tresses that fell over her left shoulder, twirling the locks around her fingers, bored. She gave her partner an unimpressed look before huffing and stepping forward. She circled the man like a wolf would a sheep.

"You know there are a lot of things that I don't like in this shitty world… and on top of that there are a lot of things that I don't tolerate. And what you did, falls into both of those categories of mine." She finished circling around the man and began heading towards the door. Placing her hand on the knob she didn't spare her partner or the man another glance. Twisting the knob and opening the door her voice was coated with indifference and her face equally so. "He's no use to us anymore; you know what to do Fang." Fang smirked.

"Aye, aye boss." With the booming bang of the firearm, the lead bullet buried itself into his brain, imploding it. He slumped in his seat as his lifeless head lulled back, mouth ajar.

"Rest in peace." Fang snorted and wiped the blood splatter off of her face with the back of her hand.

* * *

"Noctis." The dark haired prince grunted back at the call of his name. He was tired, the bags under his eyes was proof enough. Even his hair was more messy than usual. He and his friends have been scouring police files for days, trying to find any kind of clue that would lead to the Diabolus, but so far there was nothing.

"Noctis."

"What."

"The reconnaissance group that we sent to Nihilsomno is back."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N-** There are very touchy subjects and situations ahead. I don't know if it would cross over to M rated or not, because I have poor judgment. So please read with caution and apologies in advance if there is any discomfort felt, but please keep in mind that it is very essential to the story especially when it involves Lightning's past and personality.

* * *

"The reconnaissance group that we sent to Nihilsomno is back."

"Have them report here immediately."

"Two out of ten of them are on their way, Noctis."

On cue three heavy knocks on the door echoed through the prince's room.

"Come in." Two men entered the room. Their brown, short trimmed hair was matted down from sweat and from their helmets that were now in the clutches of their hands. Dirt and debris alike stained their skin and clothing. They huffed tiredly; sleep deprivation, exhaustion and lack of proper nutrients was very evident on their faces. _What in the hell did they run into to make them this disoriented? _

"Prince Noctis! Sergeant Peter reporting! I'm sorry the mission was a failure... an absolute failure! They… They knew we were coming! We didn't! We didn't have a chance! W-we… our men!" Fatigue melted away into panic as the man spoke. He continued his rambling to the point where tears flooded from his eyes and his hands began to shake. Peter fell to his knees as the other man standing behind him moved to catch him. Not making it in time the second man also fell to his knees, hooking his superior's arm around his neck; supporting him. His panic then faded into something that Noctis knew all too well; fear. Noctis squatted to their eye level, perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet.

"Peter, I need you to calm down, okay? Calm down and tell me what happened from the beginning, slowly and with as much detail as you possibly can. Can you do that for me?" Peter only used his free hand to muffle the sobs that escaped his mouth. Noctis sighed in annoyance, though it was not aimed toward his men, but the annoyance was directed to himself for his uselessness as the second head of his kingdom.

"…Permission to speak, Prince?" Peter's companion spoke up. Noctis nodded at him, indicating for him to continue. "Before we even entered the suburb Nihilsomno the place already looked and reeked of death. Upon entering Nihilsomno we were shot with scrutinizing looks. Drunkards walked the streets, hitting on every woman in sight. People lay dying on the sidewalks and everyone walked by them like they weren't even there. Children were throwing rocks at us, cussing at us. And the police…" He sneered." No they don't deserve to be called the police… They were practically having sex with the prostitutes in broad daylight! I've never seen a place so tragic in my life… The people there have either given up or turned to a life of crime. In that kind of place… only the fittest, the most ruthless and the most intimidating would survive."

"And what of your comrades? What happened to them?" Noctis questioned a moment after letting the soldier's word sink in.

"It was mind boggling chasing around the sound of constant gunshots in the air, but around the fifth gunshot that we heard it led us to a hotel room. When we entered… I…" He closed his eyes; his mouth formed a deep frown as he conjured the image in his head. "A dead man was found. His wrists were bound behind his back with barbed wire. There were cuts and gashes all over his body. More than seventy five percent of his skin showing was covered in either blood or was bruised. The cause of death was a shot to the head, but even I don't believe that, if they left him in that state then he would have died from blood loss for sure…" He swallowed heavily, his lips were dry and his skin turned pale. Noctis nodded his head along with the description, grimacing at the thought. "But on his lap there was a note that read '_Better luck next time Lucis Kingdom… Oh by the way there's a bomb that is about to go off any second now, so I advise that you leave.' _And just as we made our way to the door it went off… everyone but Peter and I are in critical condition." He looked up at Noctis wide eyed with dismay. "Prince… They knew we were coming and they knew at exactly what time." The crease in between Noctis' eye brows deepened, his eyes became calculating and he bit his lips nervously. _How?_

"Thank you for your hard work and cooperation, I'll see to it that your team will make it through alive."

"Thank you, Prince." As the soldiers left Noctis eyed Ignis.

"So what now?" Noctis gritted his teeth and his vision seemed to be engulfed in red. He was seething. "More than half of our most elite team is dismissed and we still have no leads!"

"Noctis."

" And apparently the enemy is onto us now! Tell me Ignis! What the fuck are we supposed to do now?!"

"Noctis!" Ignis grabbed him by the collar and brang his face close to his own. "**Calm down, Prince**. We'll figure something out. Just calm down first." After a minute of silence Noctis tore himself away from Ignis' grip. He brushed a hand through his hair before taking a seat in his chair. He leaned back and placed his feet on the table, clasping his hands together on his stomach.

"Call Prompto and Gladiolus, we're pulling of another all nighter."

* * *

"No! No Claire! Let me go! M-mom and dad!" A young ten year old girl with pink hair cried as she reached out for the carcasses of her parents, strands of hair stuck to her wet face. An older girl with similar hair was the only thing preventing her from reaching the bloody corpses. Claire grabbed onto her sisters waist as she hauled her away from them, the stench of copper, burning flesh and smoke filled the room.

"Serah! They're dead! We have to get out of here before the place burns down!" Claire was acting on pure adrenaline. Her own tears escaped her eyes as she pulled her, but Serah was relentless. She kept clawing and kicking against her, refusing to give up."Please Serah! We have to leave! I don't want to lose you too!" Serah stilled as she heard her sister's voice crack with desperation and grief and before she knew it Claire had dragged her out of the house before it collapsed. As soon as they were a safe distance from the house Serah curled between Claire's arms and wept on her chest. Serah could only hear her sister's light sniffles and suppressed hiccups. "It's okay Serah. We're going to be okay. We have to live… for mom and dad's sake."

Serah woke up as she heard the crows caw. Slowly opening her eyes she met Claire's red, puffy ones. Then she remembered what had happened to her parents, her house and to all of their belongings. Claire patted Serah's hair soothingly and hummed quietly into her ear as soon as she saw Serah's eyes begin to water. "I'll never leave your side, no matter what."

"What's going to happen to us Claire?"

"Don't worry, I'll think of something."

* * *

"Heh, you want to join our militia? A girl like you?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" The seventeen year old boy that was sitting on a crate in an empty warehouse laughed; looking down at Claire. His lackey's were prompted to do the same.

"This one's a feisty one. I like it, but what are you aiming for being here of all places?"

"To survive in this shitty world and provide for my sister." This perked the boy's amusement. _Excellent, the dedicated ones with something to protect are always the easiest ones to manipulate._

"Well then welcome aboard. The name's Shax, introduce yourself."

"Lightning Farron, age fourteen." A brief expression of relief flashed across her face. _This is for Serah._

But…

In the midst of her delight she had failed to notice the leering gaze that roamed over her body.

* * *

It was tough at first. Claire was always looked down on because of her sex. They teased her and pushed her around expecting her to crumble, but what surprised them most was when she started to push back. Their mockery began to fade away and turn into admiration due to her perseverance and courage. She refused to be beat down, she lost nearly everything in her life within minutes and she'll be damned if she let someone step all over her. She had found out the hard way that the world was cruel and unfair. She knew that no one would give her sympathy just because she was a little girl, people would easily chew up and spit out her misfortunes telling her to grow up. So she fought tooth and nail to survive, to live. Somewhere along the line she found acceptance and respect in the group of scoundrels. She hated to admit it, but she was happy.

One year had passed since that fateful day. Slowly Claire began to see them as friends, maybe even family. She had fun with them; they argued, cried and played together. They protected her when she picked a fight or got caught during one of their looting adventures. Sure, most of the time they came out of it with bumps and scratches, but they supported each other and that was all that mattered. On her birthday the group even took the time to get her a present; albeit it was just a candle and a cookie, but it was the thought that counted. From Shax she received a new white t shirt and black sweatpants that fit her perfectly. To say the least, it quickly became her favorite outfit to wear; not that she had much of a choice. She was even comfortable enough to introduce Serah to them. It made sense in her head to have Serah around under her supervision. It warmed Claire's heart when she saw Serah smile as she braided some of the boy's hair, much to their embarrassment. Claire smiled when she saw that no one could say no to Serah and her puppy dog eyes, because Claire could relate. During one of the countless nights as Claire tucked Serah into the makeshift bed of rags and cloths in the warehouse she thought, very briefly. _Maybe there is hope after all… _Placing a kiss on the forehead of Serah's sleeping face she whispered an acute "I love you," before settling beside her and pulling the covers over them; drifting off into her own slumber.

"Lightning." A voice plucked her from her unconscious state. She stirred in response. "Lightning." The voice called again.

"What?" The grouchiness in her voice was amplified by the dryness in her throat. One eye peeked open to see the familiar face of Shax. His grey eyes stared intently down at her. His fiery red hair was pulled back into a short, messy ponytail with stray hair and bangs framing his creamy complexion. A gentle smile formed on his mouth.

"I need to talk to you alone." Confused and tired she did little to resist as he pulled her along to a separate room in the warehouse; his room. He dragged her in and turned to close the door behind him. Claire surveyed his room. On the far side was a mattress, and actual mattress. Opposite of it was a wooden table and a lone plastic chair. There was a single window where moonlight flooded in. She walked over to see the view outside; she missed the click of the lock as she did so.

"What's so important that you couldn't wait until tomo- ugh!" A sudden force pushed her face first into the cold, stony wall. The body behind her shoved her harder into the wall, trapping her body between the two surfaces. Instinctively she raised her arms and pressed back against the wall, attempting to alleviate the pain she felt on her cheek. Feeling a hand travel up under her shirt she moved her own hand to stop its movement. "Shax, what the hell are you doing?!" He gripped her chest, brushing her hand away like it wasn't even there. Claire drove her elbow back into his gut and turned around to see him stumble back. She raised her arms to cover her chest, face flushed with anger. "Get the fuck away from me you bastard!" She snarled in disgust. She couldn't believe it. Shax was someone she looked up to. He had a boyish charm that always made her comfortable. He was always kind and civil to her. So why? Why was he doing this to her? She had little time to sort out her feelings before Shax took her lips as he thrust her back into the wall, his hand gripping her wrists, raising them above her head. She kicked and screamed when she felt his fingers slip down past her waistband, but as she opened her mouth to do so he found it as an opportunity to shove his tongue down her throat. She gagged as bile formed in her mouth, her stomach churned viciously; still she refused to give up. With her limbs fixed in place she resorted to biting the intruding appendage. Shax grunted roughly and grasped her jaw, restricting her from closing it. He grinned wryly at her distress as she thrashed without end. Next he leaned in close to her ear and without a hint of guilt he said, "If you don't want to be here, there's always that cute little sister of yours…" He chuckled as she went limp with defeat. "That's a good girl Ms. Must protect her sister no matter what." Every touch on her body nauseated her, she felt like she was going to throw up with every second that passed by. She hated herself, she hated him, but above all she hated the world. All her life she lived purely for Serah, what did she do to deserve this? Etro, why was she so weak? His palm covered her lips, making her swallow her pleas. Tears ran down her face in endless streams as his raspy tone invaded her thoughts.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle." His words were dipped in deceit as he connected with her. The last thing she could remember was the blood trickling down her thigh and the erratic breaths that he let out. That and all of the following nights she could only stare at the moon for any form of comfort as she did everything in her power to disconnect from her body and numb any feeling. That night Claire had died and whenever she was reborn at the sight of her sister she knew that when darkness reigned over the skies Shax would make sure that she would die again inside. Shax had turned her into an object for him and his buddies to use. They had made sure that Claire would never resurface again; now, in her place stood Lightning. At the end of every night where she would lie in a different bed she had made a promise to herself. _I'm going to kill them. **All of them. **Then Serah and I will run away together._

* * *

"Lightning!" Lightning caught Serah as she leapt into her arms, as giddy as ever.

"What is it Serah?" Serah beamed and opened her interlocked fingers to reveal a paper flower.

"Shax showed me how to make it! Isn't it pretty?" Lightning looked past her sister's shoulder to be met with a rotten smirk. He saluted her sarcastically before his eyes brushed over her curves. Lightning bit back her malice and stared lovingly at Serah.

"It's beautiful Serah, be sure to show me how you made it okay?" She grabbed Serah's hand and led her outside into the sunlight. She walked as fast as she could, as far as she could with Serah's little legs stumbling to keep up. She hated it. She could feel their lustful ogling at her figure. Self conscious, she tugged her worn and baggy, blue sweater around her a bit more securely. Tears brimmed at her eyes; she wanted to be anywhere but there. Reaching a safe distance away from the warehouse she fell on her hands and knees and began to whimper as she shed painful tears. Serah was shocked at her sister's demeanor; nevertheless she immediately threw her arms around Lightning's neck and nuzzled her face into her shoulder.

"Light, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Lightning couldn't help but smile as her sister's concern for her, though this led her to bawl even harder. Gradually, she returned Serah's gesture, wrapping her arms around her torso.

"I-I'm sorry Serah… I'm just s-so tired…so tired… I just can't… I can't take it anymore…Serah w-we need to leave." She grew urgent as her hold on Serah tightened.

"Leave where? Are we gonna go with everyone else?"

"No… just the two of us Serah… Just like before…"

"Why do we need to leave brother Shax and everyone? They're family! I don't want to leave." Serah pouted a little as she stared with wide eyes at her sister. She instantly wanted to take back what she had said when she saw Lightning's grief stricken expression. She pulled Lightning closer and pushed aside her own wants. "Never mind Light, wherever you go, I'll come too. We promised to stay together, right?" As an answer she felt Lightning nod.

_Thank you for understanding Serah. I know you see them as family, but I just can't stand it anymore. I'm sorry… I'll make it up to you._

* * *

"You know you're much more obedient compared to when we first started." Shax sat back in the plastic chair as Lightning walked seductively over to him, dressed in a pair of black spandex shorts and a black tank top. She climbed onto him, straddling his hips. She leaned down to lick the junction between his neck and shoulder. He moaned gruffly as he placed his hands on her swaying hips, but she took his hands and placed them on the armchair. This time she was in control.

"I can't help it that you feel so _good_." She nibbled the tip of his ear, coaxing another moan from the man. His eyes and head rolled back as her hand swept over the bulge in his pants. A dangerous glint sparked in Lightning's eye as she took the chance to exact her revenge. Swiftly she took the knife that was tucked away delicately at her lower back and in one fell swoop she impaled him right through the heart. His eyes shot open and his muscles tensed. He sat frozen in place as crimson liquid overflowed out of the corners of his mouth.

"Y-you bitch." He wheezed.

"Burn in hell." She withdrew the blade just as efficiently as it did going in him. She took the edge of his shirt and used it wiped off the remaining blood. Hopping off his lap she went to grab her pants and sweater, dressing herself as she headed for the door. She turned back to his body to see his shirt completely stained. He was dead. Her eyes drifted to the table where all of the jewelry was from their latest burglary. Without hesitation she cleaned the objects off of the table and into her pockets.

* * *

She swept through the halls quietly, like a cat. Claire was weak and foolish, but Lightning was strong and deadly. Her old self was sacrificed so she could survive, so she could protect Serah. Soundlessly, she woke Serah from her slumber, placing a finger on her lips just as she was about to speak. Lightning nodded her head towards the door and Serah understood. Serah grabbed whatever belongings she had which consisted of a paper flower, a set of clothes and a necklace from her parents. Sneaking around the small base they managed to avoid all other members.

"The boss was stabbed and the girls are gone! Find them now!"

The silent militia roared alive as every person was now looking for them.

"Shit!" Lightning cussed.

"They're they are!"

"Get 'em!"

"Don't let them escape!"

"Run Serah!" They made a run for a more populated area. They ran through the alleys of the town ducking and weaving in intricate patterns trying to get away from the distant shouting. The sound of her heartbeat and her sister's heavy pants was all she heard as they slowly, but surely got away. _We're gonna make it! We're gonna get away!_

Lightning dragged Serah around a corner into another alleyway that lead to what she assumed was the main road and as far as she was concerned, it was still bustling. They fell back as Lightning bumped into what felt like a wall. Looking up she backed away quickly, pushing Serah behind her.

"There you are! Thought you could escape us huh? Well think again." He stalked towards her, knife in hand as Lightning scrambled to get up, yanking Serah up with her.

"We'll see about that." She pulled out her own knife, trying to relax her stiff muscles. She readied herself to fend off any incoming attack. She paced her breathing, never taking her eyes off of the burly man.

"Light!"

"Stay behind me Serah and look away, as long as you do that then I'll be fine. I said I would never leave your side, didn't I?"

The man launched off of his heels and dove at Lightning. She easily maneuvered herself out of the way causing him to falter slightly. Lightning had to keep his attention on her.

"Hey dipshit, is that the fastest your fat ass can go?" It worked. The man swung in frenzy after Lightning, one of which swiped successfully at her midsection, drawing blood from a fresh three inch long cut. Lightning groaned at the burning sensation she felt, but that was nothing compared to what she was put through before. He let his guard down, satisfied at the fresh wound her placed on her. _Fatal mistake._ Lightning skipped off the wall and soared towards the man's direction. Mid flight she hooked her arm around the front of his neck pulling him down backwards as he landed onto her knife, hilt deep into the top of his spine. She placed a hand over her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. She jerked the knife out of the dead man's back and covered his upper half with a dirty cloth lying on the street. "Serah, it's safe now, you can look." Serah peeked out from under her hands before her eyes widened in fear.

"Light behind you!" A hand cupped over her mouth, muffling her screams. The other arm was used to haul her up off the ground. _Shit, he wasn't the only one!_ "Light!" Lightning bit the hand in her mouth but the offender's grasp did not ease off. _Serah!_

**Gong!**

The man dropped Lightning with a thud. She bolted over to Serah as soon as she touched the floor and turned to the fallen man. Behind him was a boy with a severely over-sized trench coat and dirty blonde hair. In his hands was a frying pan and on his face was a goofy grin.

"The hero is here to save the day!" Lightning eyed him warily. He looked to be about her age and by the looks of it he was just as homeless as she was, but most importantly she didn't recognize him, meaning that he wasn't with _them_. Her gaze turned to his pocket where a wallet was. _With those clothes that can't be his._

"I didn't know heroes resorted to pick pocketing." His smile fell and guilt painted itself onto his face.

"Y-yeah…" He looked down. "I know." As he moved his gaze down he saw the red substance leaking through the crevice of her digits. "Holy hell! What happened to you?!" The scrawny boy trotted over to Lightning and knelt in front of her. Lightning backed away glaring daggers at him. The boy raised both hands defensively. "H-hey calm down! I just… You need help!" Lightning looked down and scoffed.

"It's just a scratch."

"You're kidding right?!" Serah peeked over her sister's shoulder and saw the "scratch" for the first time.

"Light you're bleeding!"

"Thank you Serah, I know that." Serah turned to the boy accusingly.

"Help her, blondie!" The blonde gulped nervously.

"Serah, I'm fine."

"No! You lay down Light!"

"U-uh…" The boy dug in one of his pockets and found a black bandana. He leaned over to Lightning and pressed the cloth to the gash with a reasonable amount of pressure. Lightning groaned and tilted her head back at the pain that surged through her body. "Ah!" The boy then pulled a bottle of water from an inner pocket and poured it over the injury, attempting to disinfect it. Serah held Lightning's hand worriedly and squeezed it every time Lightning winced. Half an hour later the cut seemed to have stopped bleeding, but it was best to keep the black fabric covering it.

"Serah we need to find a place to stay."

"Uhm! I have a place! It's a crappy hotel but it's better than lying in the streets…"

"No thanks bud-"

"Okay!"

"Serah! We can't"

"Yes we can Light! We need a place to stay so you can get better! Then we can leave!"

"But-"

"No buts!"

"… Fine you win Serah."

"Good then it's settled! What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Snow…"

"My name Serah and the stubborn one is Lightning. Nice to meet you!"

"R-right…"

* * *

"Sis!" The sudden voice startled Lightning out of her nap.

"What is it Serah?" Her soft, mature voice filled the air. Serah giggled.

"Breakfast is ready, everyone is already downstairs. Oh, and I think Hope and Fang have some intel for you."

* * *

**A/N- **Yeah so I'm really going to need your guys' help as to whether this is still rated T or if it should be rated M so I can put a warning… Anyway how was it? Interesting? Not interesting? Get on with the story? Write more about Noctis? Feedback is much appreciated and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-** I know, I know, this is a very fast update compared how brutally long I usually take, but I got excited after reading the last few reviews and just couldn't wait, so here you go! There are no warnings for this chapter other than minimal swearing (but that's okay for a T rated story.)

* * *

The scent of breakfast lured Lightning awake. She could hear the sizzling of the scrambling eggs in the room over. Lightning went to open the curtains just in time to see the sun peek through the clouds. The view of the 'better side' of Nihilsomno was in her sights. The visions of her dreams, her long escaped past replayed in her mind. She remembered running, a lot of running as she escaped the hell hole of the dubious surroundings of her childhood. As she ran with Serah she found that their little family began to grow. She remembered the day Serah, Snow and herself stumbled into the infamous city. Nihilsomno was the city for the forlorn, the forgotten and the dead. Nihilsomno was split into three sections; the east, the west and the crossfire zone. The east was where the trio first stumbled into and within their first twenty four hours there the locals tried to mug them three times and tried to kidnap them twice. Next they faced the crossfire zone where all three of them earned plenty of battle scars, but despite all odds they prevailed alive and in one piece. Here was where Lightning earned her medal of honor, taking down an entire gang that terrorized the people, armed with nothing but a switchblade, Ransacking all she could she scorned at the scavengers that flocked towards the battlefield, taking anything that she left behind. With the prizes of her hard work they were able to buy and spruce up the abandoned house deep in the west. It was a wooden baby blue colored house. The windows were shattered absent and the paint was chipped and faded. It definitely wasn't the most desirable house, but it wasn't like they could afford to be picky. Nevertheless with enough elbow grease the house slowly turned into a respectable home; their home. Snow had taken care of the limited renovations while Serah furnished the house. Lightning often went out to observe the neighborhood; she learned how to read both books and people. She adapted completely to the unforgiving world, learning the ropes and tricks of the underground trade. She shed the skin of the useless girl she used to be. She vowed to never again be the victim. Lightning grew mature, refined and deadly. She learned to mask her guilt and fear until it too sank into the abyss of her heart to rot away.

* * *

"Hey Light!" The boisterous blonde greeted only after swallowing the contents of Serah's cooking. The scraggly young boy Light once knew had grown into an unnervingly large man. His form now towered over her 5'7" frame, but his big hearted personality was still that of the fifteen year old boy she remembered.

"Snow half of the food missed your mouth, wipe that filth off of your face." Lightning spoke passively, though the hint of menace was still detectable; however it seemed to go right over the bulky man's head.

"Haha, oops. Sorry Light." He apologized before using his sleeve to wipe whatever crumbs were on his face.

"I'll prepare your dish for you, Sis."

"Thank you, Serah. Just eggs and toast is fine." She eyed the room. "Where's Sazh?"

"He's giving Dajh a bath. He said to fill him in later if anything important comes up."

"Moring everyone! It's such a beautiful day today!" A head of pigtails bounced into the room, looking over Serah's shoulder at the stove. "What smells so good?"

"Looks like sleeping beauty decided to wake up!" Fang teased the recently roused woman. Lightning briefly ignored her as she stretched out her shoulder until she felt a pleasurable pop. She then proceeded to do the same to her neck; the tension in her body seemed to wash away.

"If I knew you'd be this nerve grating then I would've left you on the streets." The pinkette's apathetic voice responded. To which Fang snickered.

"You say that, but I know how much of a softy you really are."

"Raphael Suzak would be rolling over in his grave if he heard you say that."

"Ha! Like you would do scum like him the favor and bury him in a proper grave." Lightning busied herself in brewing a cup of chai tea. The cinnamon-y aroma did wonders to her senses. She took a sip of her creation before taking a seat at the end of the modest wooden table. She looked up at Fang who was waiting for her to retort.

"What are you talking about? The ocean makes a fantastic grave." A moment of silence passed as the two women shared a glance of amusement followed by Fang breaking out into laughter as Light only smiled at her joke.

"What was it that you needed to talk to me about?" Fang moved to take a seat across from Light, placing her feet on the table and putting her arms behind her head for support.

"Hang on a bit sunshine, Hope scurried off to grab his laptop to show you something."

"What of?"

"Hell if I know, the boy's too damn smart for his own good. It's creepy sometimes. But in the meantime how about I humor you? The kid showed me the footage of those prissy Lucis soldiers and let me tell you something; I've never seen a group of men turn into pansy little girls so fast in my life. If they're Lucis' elite team then the kingdom is doomed." Fang yawned loudly analyzing Lightning's face, whose eyes lit up. To a stranger, Lightning would have only looked bored, but Fang knew that look. Lightning was scheming. Fang began to tap her foot, excitement formed in the pit of her belly. Lightning had something big planned.

"Good morning Light!" The said person turned to her left to be met with hetero-chromatic eyes; one blue-green, one grey. A scar ran from his eyebrow down through the lid of his right smoky eye until the top of his cheek.

"Good morning Hope." She patted the fourteen year old boys head affectionately, like how a mother would her child. "What is it you wanted to show me?" Hope opened the sleek black laptop and turned the screen so it faced Lightning's direction. Her eyes quickly scanned the grayed pictures that littered the screen. As first she saw the shots of the kingdom's soldiers fleeing from the explosion. She placed a finger on the touch pad to scroll down. The next sets of pictures were taken from a long distance camera. It peered through a large window focusing on a single figure. As the pixels evened out her eyebrows rose in enjoyment. There stood the one and only Prince Noctis with a rather frustrated expression on his face; if the crease in his forehead and distinct frown were anything to go off of.

"I have the audio of the Prince's conversation with the two uninjured soldiers." A silence developed amongst the group at the announcement.

"Let's hear it then." Hope turned the laptop back towards him and typed away; his eyes flickered back and forth at a surely inhumane pace. He then went to place it in the middle of the table, facing it in no particular direction. The sound of exasperated breathing and rustling was heard followed by three knocks.

_"Come in."_

_"Prince Noctis! Sergeant Peter reporting! I'm sorry the mission was a failure..."_

Fang chuckled mockingly at the fear that laced the so called soldier's voice; she then turned to Lightning to give her an 'I told you so' look. They listened at the dialogue exchange that rolled out before them.

"Huh… I don't think Nihilsomno is _that _bad." Vanille rambled as he heard the trooper describe their war torn city. She sat adjacent to Snow. Serah giggled to herself, poking Vanille's cheek.

"That's because we're_ used_ to it Vanille." Vanille pursed her lips.

"Well you have no choice but to find the positives in a place like this…"

_"Prince… They knew we were coming and they knew at exactly what time."_

Snow's slightly opened mouth turned into a wide grin, letting out a few chortles. He crossed his arms and leaned back, looking at Light.

"I bet that freaked them out." He commented.

_"So what now? More than half of our most elite team is dismissed and we still have no leads!"_

_"Noctis."_

_"And apparently the enemy is onto us now! Tell me Ignis! What the fuck are we supposed to do now?!"_

"I guess we really backed the Prince into a corner this time huh Light?" Fang was now leaning forward, chin resting on her palm. Her fingers were curled so they cover her mouth, but peeking out from behind her fist was an amused smirk. Lightning spared her a glance before placing a piece of fried egg that Serah had placed in front of her just recently to her lips.

"I suppose we did." Snow turned to Hope who took a seat in front of his laptop, across from Vanille.

"How'd you bug the room anyways?" He asked the boy. Hope only glanced up at him and smiled mischievously, placing a digit over his mouth.

"Secret." Snow rolled his eyes at the boy's vague answer while the rest laughed.

"So what are we going to do next?" Vanille bit into a slice of crispy bacon. All attention diverted to the end of the table to Lightning as she dabbed her lips with a napkin; eyes closed.

"It would look like the Prince is in dire need of protection seeing that his top military team is temporarily wiped out, don't you think?" Light opened her eyes and examined her party.

"What are you suggesting, Sunshine?" A glimmer of mirth appeared in her eyes.

"What I'm saying is… how about we pay the royal Prince a visit?"

* * *

"I. Hate. My. Life. So. Much."

"Shut up Prompto." The blonde ignored the threat from the spectacled man and continued his whining.

"Glad! Back me up here!"

"You're on your own buddy."

"We've been looking at these reports and files for _days_ and we still haven't gotten anywhere, in fact I think we moved further backwards." What Prompto said wasn't a complete lie. It had been five days since the blast that had severely injured his men. Currently, Noctis was sitting at the table with his head resting sluggishly on his knuckles. Prompto was lying flat on his stomach, his arms completely outstretched in front of him, his chin touching the floor. Gladiolus sat opposite to him, cross legged, flipping through a ridiculous amount of paper like it was a magazine or novel. Ignis was pacing back and forth in the room, one hand held a pile of papers while the other rubbed his eyes.

"How about we take a break? Just for a bit." Prompto rolled over onto his back and sprung himself up onto his feet. He ran towards Noctis; his savior and threw an arm around his neck, pulling his head close.

"Yes! Noctis I love you man! Let's go to the bazaar and pick up some food!"

"If it was food that you wanted we could have asked the chefs–"

"Yeah, but the chefs just can't replicate true home cooking." Noctis jutted himself away from Prompto by elbowing him in the ribcage. Gladiolus tossed the keys to Ignis who caught them with ease. Noctis smoothed out any wrinkles in his shirt before pointing his thumb in the direction of the door.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

The four men got out of the sleek black car and walked the rest of the way to the bazaar. Sure they could have gone to the newly integrated malls, but here there was a very welcoming atmosphere. Well that and at the marketplace it wasn't nearly as bustling; meaning the chances of them getting recognized would plummet. The spring bazaar settled on the side of Lucis where rural and urban society coincides. This unique ambience was still in sight of the palace. Right next to the cobblestone road were the stalls that had a variety of objects, ranging from jewelry to food; all of which were homemade. Behind the stalls were stone, concrete and metal buildings varying in shapes and sizes. The appetizing smell of handmade dishes made the boy's salivate and their stomachs rumble. Prompto broke apart from the group and pranced down the road in search of his favorite croquettes which were sold by a cute old lady whose smile would have made anyone else's heart melt. Spotting a familiar stand, Prompto's eyes illuminated.

"Helena! Your lovely face never fails to put a smile on my face." Prompto grinned cheekily, fluttering his eyelashes innocently.

"Oh, Prompto you're such a charmer. You're just looking to get free samples of my cooking, aren't you?" Helena turned away from him to take out fresh fried croquettes and put in another batch. She broke off a piece and blew on it to cool it off. When the piece in her hand met an edible temperature she held it out for Prompto to eat. "Here dear, try these new vegetable ones." There was little to no hesitation as Prompto happily grabbed the fresh croquette and ate it all in one bite. He closed his eyes like he was in heaven. _I can die happy._

"Helena you wound me! You're delicious croquettes will always come second to the delight I get from seeing you." He raised his hand and placed it over his heart, feigning offense.

"My, my I can see why you're so popular with the ladies." Helena began to package the food in a paper brown bag; already knowing Prompto's order by heart. She giggled at the purity that shone in his eyes as drool practically dripped from the corner of his mouth. An alarmed grunt filled the air as Prompto was pulled back into a sturdy chest; an arm muffled any of his protests.

"Jeez, you're like a damn dog, we should put a leash on you." A baritone voice, belonging to Gladiolus made Prompto whimper at the vice grip over his face. The smaller man tussled in the larger man's arms, not succeeding in the slightest at breaking free. Gladiolus turned to Helena and sent her a tender smile and a nod. "It's good to see you Helena."

"It's is good to see you too Gladiolus, and yes he is quite a handful, this one." She gestured to Prompto.

"Yes, thank you for taking care of him Helena." Noctis walked up behind Glad and tilted his head towards Helena in gratitude.

"It's no trouble at all boys."

"Dear Etro, you are a saint." The group laughed at Ignis' antics just as he arrived. Helena handed off the brown bag to Noctis in exchange for a few coins. After a few moments of idle chatter they bid Helena farewell as they ventured further down the street. Each had a croquette in hand, eating away as they browsed the booths. Gladiolus went to check out the new shipment of exotic furs somewhere along the way while Ignis was pulled to the book-stand like an invisible hand was nudging him along. Noctis saw Prompto try on a mask at the shop next to the book-stand. Prompto put it on and called out to Ignis.

"Hey Ignis, do I remind you of anyone?" Ignis looked up at the obnoxious blonde that interrupted his reading; he felt a vein pop in his head. Prompto was wearing a green mask with bug eyes and hideous teeth.

"You're mother." Ignis deadpanned. Prompto lifted the mask off of his face, appalled.

"How can you say that?!"

"Fine then, you in the morning." Ignis sassed his face still blank as ever as he skimmed through the novel.

"You're so mean!"

* * *

Noctis shook his head and chuckled to himself at the display of his two friends bickering at each other. He turned away and leisurely paced down the street, hands in his pockets. He inhaled a lungful of fresh air to clear his mind, but it was no use. The Diabolus incident still nagged him at the back of his mind. His gaze glossed over three children running around the market place with fake plastic swords playing cops and robbers. He smiled bitterly, doubt filled his thoughts. _How can I protect this kingdom if I can't even protect even a few of my men?_ He unconsciously knitted his eyebrows; lips moving as if he was speaking yet no sound came out. A headline on a newspaper to his left caught his attention.

_**Mayor Suzak of Messorem Still Missing **_**  
**  
Noctis swiped the newspaper and tossed the shop keep more than enough coins all at once without stopping. He unfolded the paper and studied the inked text.

_**Mayor Suzak was last seen entering his limo outside of the Caelum manor after his and King Caelum's meeting concerning the recent crackdowns on the human trafficking ring. At eight in the morning the police had received a phone call from Mayor Suzak's secretary. In his frantic state he claimed that Mayor Suzak had yet to return home considering that all of his calls to the Mayor's home had remained unanswered. He then continued to call and leave messages to the Mayor's cell phone and email which too remained unanswered. Police arrived at Suzak's house only one hour later. Breaking down the door they inspected his home finding no traces of struggle or violence. Therefore they determined that Suzak did not make it home that night. This led to a full blown investigation and search for the limo he was last seen in. After two days a mysterious explosion took place on the seaport. When officers arrived on site they urgently put out the fire engulfing a black limousine. In the trunk officers found a fire safe locker, when cracked open there was only a single piece of paper that read 'Perhaps if you were quicker on your feet than maybe you wouldn't have been bested by the heat. -Diabolus' As the fire died down investigators found no body in the car. A month had passed since Suzak's disappearance, but despite the law enforcement's best efforts they could not locate Suzak's whereabouts. As insult to injury it would seem that the this rising threat known as 'Diabolus' is simply mocking Lucis' police force. This leads Lucis' citizens to question just how safe they are and how King Caelum will combat this looming peril.**_**  
**  
Noctis crumpled the article angrily in one fist and tossed it into the next trashcan he saw. _Diabolus… Just what the hell are you? Where the hell are you? Who the hell are you? _

"Oomph!"

Noctis felt a small mass collide with his chest, breaking him out of his train of thought. A pair of different colored eyes; one was a shade of green, the other was grey, stared up at him accusingly. The young boy with a head of silvery hair, almost white, fell onto his rear right in front of him. Noctis leaned over and held out his hand towards the boy's direction.

"Are you okay?" To the Prince's surprise the boy swatted his hand away and got up himself. As the boy stood he dusted of any traces dirt that was on him, before turning away from Noctis. Noctis watched the boy jog down the street and run up to a woman with a black sweater whose hood was up, covering her face. The woman pulled the boy close to her; throwing an arm around his shoulder. The boy smiled at her as she ruffled his hair. Before they turned the street corner the woman glanced over her shoulder and connected with Noctis' gaze. The corners of her mouth were pulled up ever so slightly in mild satisfaction. Noctis' breath caught in his throat when her electric blue eyes pierced his. His hands went clammy. Never in his life has he felt such genuine fear from a glimpse in his direction. Don't get him wrong, he could stare down even the toughest and meanest guys, but there was something different about that woman. With the split second connection he shared with her, he couldn't help but feel his heart constrict at the unease he felt. Her eyes were so powerful and honest yet so dead and hollow. The daylight was beginning to vanish and the true chill began to seep in. Noctis blamed the weather for the unsettled feeling in his body, but he knew better.

"Noctis!" The Prince recoiled at the sudden shout. He whipped his head around to see Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus panting as they ran up to him. Their faces lost color, their eyes were wide and a cold sweat layered their skin.

"What happened?"

"Y…You're father… He just called…" Noctis' face hardened. His voice grew stern.

"What did he say?"

"He received a letter."

"From who?" Ignis gulped.

"… From Diabolus." Noctis gripped Ignis' shoulders.

"What did it _say_?"

"Can't say. He hasn't opened it yet. It was sent to the royal family, meaning he wants you to be there when he opens it. We need to leave now Noctis."

"Father." Noctis rushed through the doors to his father's room. He was followed by Prompto, Gladiolus and Ignis soon after.

"Son." Noctis saw the tired wrinkles etched into his father's face. A weary smile welcomed him. He gestured to Noctis embracing him in a hug, patting him on the back. He walked over to his desk and opened the drawer, grabbing the letter he handed it to son. "Here." Noctis ripped the end of the envelope and pulled the paper out.

"Dear Prince tearing out his own hair trying to track me down, how would you like to have a talk with me? In person of course, I believe there is much that needs to be discussed between you and I. If you accept please head to the window and raise one finger and I will personally head to your kingdom one day from now at this time; however if you decline then simply raise two fingers at the window. The choice is yours Prince and believe me when I say that I will make it worth your while if you accept. -L.F" Noctis folded the letter again and stared at his friends.

"No way… So they can see us _now_?" Prompto's voice cracked in panic. Paranoia slowly took over as he began to look around the room. Noctis placed the letter in his pocket and stepped towards the window. He clenched his hand and took a deep breath. His decision was already made before he even finished reading the letter. He straightened his posture proudly and relaxed the muscles in his shoulder. He raised one finger and held it high.

* * *

Through a monitor a certain pink haired leader watched the Prince's confident display and she couldn't be any happier at the Prince's decision. She peered up at Fang, Hope and Snow.

"I assume everything is prepared?"

"Down to a T. I double checked everything." Hope spoke monotonously as he continued to type away at his laptop.

"Good, next is to give the Prince an offer he won't refuse." Fang snorted at Lightning's choice of words.

"More like can't."

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**A/N-** I think I really love dry humor…Yeah so this chapter didn't have any blood or gore or any badass-ery, but don't worry that will come in later chapters, so sit tight! This chapter just serves as a back story/laying the foundation kind of thing so if it was a bore I apologize but all of this is necessary and I do hope you stick around for the rest of this story. Cheers everybody!


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